Guiding device



Jan. 26, 1943.

' R. J. STOKER GUIDING DEVICE Filed June 26, 1941 .hzvenfar: 605597 J.570K7 4" fi/Jiii? Patented Jan. 26, 1943 2,309,547 comma DEVICE RobertJ. Stoker, Gary, Ind., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation,a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1941, Serial No.399,922

4 Claims.

This invention relates to guiding devices, and more particularly tothose which are used for guiding the side edges of sheets, strip, etc.

In the manufacture of strip metal, it is frequently necessary to employside guides in order to eliminate transverse shifting. Such devicesfrequently take the form of holders disposed at either side edge of thestrip or sheet and carrying a rigid wearing plate for contact therewith.The wearing plates are usually quite rigid, and because of thisfrequently cause the side edge'sof the strip or sheet to "curl" orotherwise be damaged. This is particularly true with respect to the endsof the strip or sheet.

In lieu of guiding devices of the type described immediatelyhereinbefore, it has been proposed to utilize apparatus embodyingsprings or other resilient instrumentalities, but so far as I am awarethese apparatus are expensive and troublesome to manufacture, installand operate.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an eflicientbut inexpensive device for guiding the side edges of strip, sheet, etc.,which is characterized by suflicient resiliency to eliminate damage.

Another object is the provision of a device of the class described whichis so constructed as to be susceptible to employment in connection withother apparatus of existing design.

The foregoing and other objects will become more apparent afterreferring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device of the present invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are end views on the lines 11-11 and III-1H,respectively, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Figur 1, andillustrates the'manner in which the device is secured to a guiding bedor table in its sheet or strip guiding capacity.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the device of the presentinvention comprises a holder which includes a supporting member 2 in theform of a substantially rectangular block having considerably greaterheight than width and carrying at its upper end a right angularlyextending overhanging flange 3. Along its lower end, but disposed inofiset relationship with respect to the center-line of the rectangularblock, is a right angularly extending outboard lug t which issubstantially rectangular in cross section. The right angularlyextending outboard lug E is adapted to seat in and be moved along aninverted T-shaped recess I of a conventional guiding bed' or table 8.Extending through this outboard lug 4 and through the supporting memher2 is an aperture III which receives a bolt H having a head l3 with seatsin the bottom of the inverted T-shaped recess I of theguiding bed ortable 8. The upper end of the bolt ll projects above the supportingmember 2 and is screwthreaded in the customary manner, and carries a nutl4 whereby the bolt l I may be elevated sufflciently to permit the innerface of its head l3 to come into clamping contact with the upper face ofthe bottom of the inverted T-shaped recess 1 to thus maintain thesupporting member 2 in rigid relationship on the guiding bed or table 8.

Referring more particularly to Figure 4, the numeral l5 generallydesignates a spacer member which comprises a substantially rectangularblock having considerably greater height than width and carrying at itsupper end a right angularly extending overhanging flange I6. Thus thespacer member I5 is shaped similarly to the supporting member which isdescribed hereinbefore. The spacer member I 5 is disposed similarly tothe supporting member 2 and in spaced parallelism with respect thereto,whereby its overhanging flange l6-lies immediately below the overhangingflange 3 of the said supporting member.

As shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 4, the supporting member 2 andthe spacer member 15 are welded together adjacent their end portions toprovidea clearance space ll which extends continuously upwardly andhorizontally between the overhanging flanges 3 and 16 of the saidsupporting member 2 and spacer member l5 respec tively. At their otherends the space between the supporting member 2 and spacer member I5 areclosed by a continuous weld 20, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

The guiding instrumentality per se comprises an inverted U-shapedmetallic strip 2| one leg of which is fore-shortened as shown at 22.This guiding instrumentality 2| is formed of a suitable strip ofwear-resistant alloy, of which there are so many materials well known tothe art as not to require enumeration herein.

According to the foregoing construction and arrangement, the guidinginstrumentality 28 may be slid between the supporting member 2 andspacer member l5 from the ends thereof which are connected by the weldI1. The sliding movement is continued until the advance end of theguiding instrumentality 2! contacts the continuous weld 20 at theopposite ends of the supporting member 2 and spacer member It.

In practice, the supporting member 2 and spacer member l5 are sodisposed that the continuous weld 20 is at the ends thereof throughwhich the strip or sheet being guided emerges, whereby the movement ofthe strip or sheet will not displace the guiding instrumentality 2|.

As shown more clearly in Figure 4, the long leg of the guidinginstrumentality 2i provides a space between it and the adjacent face ofthe spacer member l5 to permit of some deflection outwardly with respectto the strip to accommodate irregularities, etc., without causingcurling" or other damage to the strip or sheet.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the presentinvention, it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactlythereto, since various modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A guide device for contacting the edge of a horizontally moving sheetor the like, comprising a vertically-extending supporting membercarrying a lateral flange in spaced relation from the bottom thereof,and a flexible strip depending from said flange and disposed in spacedrelationship with respect to said wall, whereby said flexible strip maybe displaced toward said verticallyextending supporting member by thecontact therewith of the edge of the sheet being guided, said flexiblestrip having a lateral flange underlying the lateral flange aforesaid,the lateral flange of said flexible strip being maintained in positionagainst the lateral flange of said vertically-extending supportingmember.

2. A guide device for contacting the edge of a horizontally moving sheetor the like, comprising a vertically extending supporting membercarrying a lateral flange in spaced relation from the bottom thereof,and a flexible strip depending from said flange and disposed in spacedrelationship with respect to said wall, whereby said flexible strip maybe displaced toward said verticallyextending supporting member by thecontact therewith of the edge of the sheet being guided, said flexiblestrip having a lateral flange underlying the lateral flange aforesaid,the lateral flange of said flexible strip being detachably secured tothe lateral flange of said vertically extending supporting member.

3. A guide device for contacting the edge of a horizontally moving sheetor the like, comprising a supporting member defining a substantiallyvertical wall facing the sheet and carrying a flange overhanging the topof said wall, a spacer member underlying the overhanging flange of saidsupporting member, and a flexible strip depending from the overhangingflange of said supporting member, said flexible strip being providedwith an angular portion disposed between said spacer member and theunder side of the overhanging flange of said supporting member, theouter face of said spacer member being spaced from said flexible stripwhereby the latter may be displaced in that direction -by contact withthe edge of the sheet being guided.

4. A guide device for contacting the edge of a horizontally moving sheetor the like, comprising a. supporting member defining a substantiallyvertical wall facing the sheet and carrying a flange overhanging the topof said wall, a spacer member underlying the overhanging flange of saidsupporting member, said spacer member being provided with a flange inparallelism with the flange of said supporting member, and a flexiblestrip depending from the overhanging flange of said supporting member,said flexible strip being provided with an angular portion disposedbetween the flanges of said spacer member and said supporting member,the outer face of said spacer member being spaced from said flexiblestrip whereby the latter may be displaced in that direction by contactwith the edge of the sheet being guided.

ROBERT J. STOKER.

